Rain pants



Oct. 11, 1955 M. T. ROGERS RAIN PANTS Filed Oct. 3, 195] 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR. MARY T. ROGERS M. T. ROGERS Oct. 11, 1955 RAIN PANTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 3 195] INVENTOR.

MARY T. R GERS BY United States Patent Ofiiee 2,720,040 Patented Oct. 11, 1955 RAIN PANTS Mary T. Rogers, New York, N. Y.

Application October 3, 1951, Serial No. 249,560

1 Claim. (Cl. 36--2) This invention relates to new and useful improvement in rain pants.

More specifically, the present invention ,proposes the construction of rain pants to be Worn over ;garments of the trouser type in a manner to protect the bottomsof the trouser legs where they extend from the bottom of raincoats and similar rain wear from the ravages of rain and snow.

.Still further, the present invention proposes characterizing the rain pants by a .pair of waterproof leg enclosing members for completely enclosing the trouser legs from the crotch downward and which are provided at their :outer sides with upwardly projected extensions by which the leg enclosing members can be adjustably suspended from a waist engaging belt.

Another object of the present invention proposes ,providing the leg enclosing members with closeable open- .ings along their innersides in a manner to facilitate donning the pants by permitting the leg enclosing members to be closed about the trouser legs while "SHPP Lted from the waist engaging belt.

The present invention further proposes providing the leg enclosing members with loops by which the members can be conveniently .hung up to .dry after having been used.

Still further, the present invention proposes. providing the extension, where it extends over the pocket :openings of the trousers, with .a slot, which may or may not be closed with a slide fastener, to provide access to the pocket opening located 'therebeneath.

As a further object, the present invention proposes providing the extension withan outer pocket, of any desired .size or shape, which may -or may not 'be closed with :a slide fastener in a manner to contain small :amounts of change or other articles which need be conveniently at ':hand while the rain pants are being worn.

A furtherobject of the present invention proposes pro- Widing the extension, where it extends over the pocket openings of the trousers, with an inverted U-shaped slot closed by a slide .fastener and which divides off a flap arranged to :be lowered when the slide fastener is opened in 'a manner to provide access to the pocket opening Ica'ted therebeneath.

@Still another object of .the present invention proposes providing :a novel tab arrangement to which the free top end of the iiap can be releasa'bly attached to be held thereby in its raised position while th'eslide fastener is being closed.

It is a further object of the present invention to constructrainpants which are simple and durable, which are effective for working with harmful chemicals or cleansers as well as for walking in either rain or snow, which may be used by women and children as well as men and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

On the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a pair of rain pants, constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown suspended from the waist of a wearer with one of the leg enclosing members shown in its closed position and the other shown in its open position.

Fig. 2 is an outside elevational view of one of the leg enclosing members shown in its open position and spread flat, with the flap closure for the hand hole being shown in open position.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged partial horizontal sectional view taken on th line 4-4 of 'Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the Waist engaging belt, per se.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one end of the waist engaging belt.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the packet for storing the rain pants between times that they are used.

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the rain pant-s looking from the right of Fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is an outside elevational view similar -to Fig. .2 but showing .the flap closed.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged partial vertical sectional view taken on the line 12-42 of Fig. 10.

The rain pants, according to the present invention includes a pair of waterproof leg enclosing members 20 for engagement about the leg portions 21 of a pair .of trousers 22, as shown in Fig. 1. Each of the leg enclosing members .20 is alike in construction and each is :preferably formed of a sheet of synthetic resinous material; however, they can .be formed of sheet rubber, oiled silk or any other similar material.

Each of the leg enclosing members is of a height .to extend from the crotch of the pair of trousers to the bottom of the trouser leg and each has an opening extended the full height thereof along the inner side of the trouser leg. The openings of the leg enclosing members 20 are arranged to be closed by slide fasteners 23 which have their stringers 24 secured to the edge portions of the leg enclosing members 20 defining the openings by lines of stitches 25. The slide fasteners 23 are of the completely separable type so that the openings of the leg enclosing members can be opened over their entire height as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Opening and closing of the slide fasteners 23 is controlled by the usual pull tab 26.

Remote from the closable openings of the leg enclosing members 20, the members continue into upwardly projected extensions 20 which extend upward over the hips of the wearer to the waist, as shown in Fig. l. The extensions 20 are of a width less than the width of the members 20 and have their side edges extended downward and outward to the outer top corners of the leg enclosing members. The side edges of the extensions 20 are finished off by being turned under and held in position by lines of stitches 27.

The bottom edges 20 of the leg enclosing members "20 are finished off 'by being turned under and secured in position by a line of stitches 29, see Figs. 2 and 6.

Provided for engagement about the waist of the wearer of the rain pants, there is a waist engaging belt 30. The belt 30 is of suificient length to be engaged about the waist and have its ends overlapped at the front of the wearer. Secured to the adjacent faces of the overlapped ends of the belt 30 by means of stitches 31, there are elongated cloth strips 32, see Figs. 7 and 8. The cloth strips 32 are provided with sets of complementary snap fasteners 33 by which the belt can be adjustably secured in position about the waist.

Means is provided along the top edges of the extensions 20 ofthe leg enclosing members 20' for supporting the members from diametrically opposite sides of the waist engaging belt. The supporting means is comprised of super-imposed layers of material 34 which are bent into an inverted U-shape and which have their free bottom edges 35 bent inward and upward as shown in Fig. 3. The top edges of the extensions 20 are inserted between the adjacent faces of the inwardly and upwardly bent edges 35 of the layers of material 34 and are secured in position by means of stitches 36. The fold of the bent layers of material 34 is retained by a single line of stitches 37. Intermediate of their folded heights, the layers of material 34 are secured together by lines of stitches 38 which divide the spaces between the layers of material into separate tunnels 40 and 41 arranged one above the other. The waist engaging belt 30 can be selectively engaged through the tunnels 40 and 41 to support the leg enclosing members 20 at the desired elevation while being worn.

Loops 28 are provided for the leg enclosing members 20 by which they can be hung up to dry after being worn. The loops 28 are formed of the same material used for making the leg enclosing members 20, are doubled upon themselves and secured at their ends to the inner faces of the layers of material 34 by the same line of stitches 38 which divides the space between the layers into the separate tunnels 40 and 41, see particularly Fig. 3.

Between times that the rain pants are being worn, the leg enclosing members 20 and the waist engaging belt 30 are neatly folded to be stored in a packet 42, shown in Fig. 9. The packet 42 is preferably made of the same material as that used for making the leg enclosing members 20 and has an open top closed by a slide fastener 43.

According to the invention, the upwardly projecting extensions 20 of the leg enclosing members 20 are formed with inverted U-shaped slots 50 where those extensions extend upward over the pocket openings of the trousers. The slots 50 divide otf flaps 51 which when lowered provide an opening through which ones hand can be passed to be inserted into the respective pocket opening. The flaps 51 are retained in their raised positions by slide fasteners 52 arranged to be opened and closed by the usual pull tab 53. As best shown in Fig. 12 the slide fasteners 52 have the usual stringers 54 secured to the material of the extension defining the slots 50, by lines of stitches 55.

A tab 56is provided for holding the free top end of the flap 51 in its raised position while the slide fasteners 52 are being opened and closed. The tab 56 has its top end secured in position by the same stitches 36 which secure the folded under bottom edges 35 of the layers of material 34 to the top edge of the extension 20 Adjacent its free bottom end, the tab 56 is provided with a snap fastener 57 which is releasably engageable with a complementary snap fastener 58 mounted on the top end of the flap 51. With the snap fasteners 57 and 58 engaged, the flap 51 will be retained in its raised position even though the slide fastener 52 might be in its open position.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that the present invention provides novel rain pants which can be worn with very little additional weight to protect the bottom ends of the leg portions of the trousers, where they project from the bottom of a raincoat or the like, against the ravages of rain and snow. The closable openings extended along the sides of the leg enclosing members 20 make it convenient to don the rain pants without having to drag the shod and clothed legs down through the leg enclosing members from the top thereof. This is accomplished by first properly supporting the leg engaging members 20 from the waist engaging belt 30 with the belt passing through the desired tunnels 40 and 41. The slide fasteners 23 are then completely opened and the leg engaging members 20 are wrapped about the trouser legs 21 from the outside toward the inside and the slide fasteners 23 are again closed. The rain pants are then in position to protect the trouser legs.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

Rain pants for use with garments of the trouser type, comprising a waterproof leg enclosing member for engagement about the leg of a pair of trousers to extend from the crotch downward, said member having a closeable opening extended the full height thereof along the inner side of said leg, an integral extension continuing upward from said leg enclosing member remote from said closeable opening to extend upward over the hip of the wearer, a waist engaging belt, and means at the top of said extension engaging said belt for supporting said leg enclosing member from said belt, said extension having an inverted U-shaped slot defining'a flap, said flap being adapted to be lowered to provide an opening for insertion of a hand, a slide fastener for retaining said flap in a raised position closing the opening formed by said flap when lowered, an elongated tab secured to said extension above the top end of said flap, said tab having its bottom end projected across said slide fastener, and means releasably securing the bottom end of said tab to the top end of said flap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,055,184 Keeper Mar. 4, 1913 1,107,158 Day Aug. 11, 1914 1,360,715 Bittan Nov. 30, 1920 1,466,091 Diehl Aug. 28, 1923 1,537,845 McElwee May 12, 1925 1,580,453 Stentiford Apr. 13, 1926 1,641,487 Hockmeyer Sept. 6, 1927 1,775,714 Bass Sept. 16, 1930 1,791,357 Gvarino Feb. 3, 1931 1,929,296 Warren Oct. 3, 1933 1,930,748 Giorda Oct. 17, 1933 2,014,208 Parvin Sept. 10, 1935 2,084,208 Lucas June 15, 1937 2,236,636 Young Apr. 1, 1941 2,408,688 Schonthal Oct. 1, 1946 2,483,136 Hamman et al. Sept. 27, 1949 2,543,317 Hammond Feb. 27, 1951 2,549,210 Krell Apr. 17, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 164,820 Switzerland Oct.31, 1933 

